Lens assembly for industrial safety helmets



VNov. 3; 1942-. I J, F CLARK 2,301,018

` LENS ASSEMBLY FOR INDUSTRIAL SAFETY HELMETS Filed Dec. l0, 1941 Juhu 'E 'mai-k,

lmaentor Cttomegs' Patented Nov. 3, 1942 LENS ASSEMBLY FOR INDUSTRIAL SAFETY HELMETS John F. Clark, Wyomissing, Pa., assgnor to Willson Products, Inc., Reading, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application December 10, 1941, Serial No. 422,344

2 Claims.

My invention relates to industrial protection helmets and particularly to those employed in sand blasting operations requiring a sight open ing, and more specifically it relates to new and useful improvements in the lens assembly for such sight opening; my objects being to simplify the construction, avoid the damage of sand grinding between movable parts, and cushion the assembly against jarring shocks and danger of breaking the lens.

The nature of my improvements and their manifest advantages will be more fully understood in connection with the following specification and the drawing accompanying the same, setting forth a detailed description of a full embodiment of my invention, the novel features of which are pointed out in the appended claims.

Fig. l is a front elevation of a protective helmet embodying my improved lens assembly for the sight apertures.

Fig. 2 is a corresponding side view of the same.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged scale partial vertical section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, showing my improved lens assembly mounted on the sight aperture of the helmet.

Fig. 4 is a front view of the showing in Fig. 3 the cap and screen being partly broken away to show the underlying parts..

Fig. 5 is a reduced scale yexploded view of the parts shown assembled in Fig. 3, the upper halves being shown in vertical section corresponding to the sections shown in Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawing, I indicates a helmet, preferably made in known manner of rubber deposited on a wire frame so as to provide a desirably ilexible cover for self adjustment and to absorb sound and shock of flying abrasions. This helmet has a sight opening formed by a circular flange portion 2 surrounding an aperture in the helmet in line with the eyes of a wearer, such flange being an integral rigid part of the helmet and having spaced bolting anges 3 to secure a lens assembly according to my present invention. An air line tube for supplying fresh air to the interior of the helmet is indicated at 4, but the body harness, dust-proof seal, and other features of the helmet not essential to the present disclosure, are omitted from the drawing.

My improved lens assembly consists of a ring 5, preferably of light weight metal, having bolting flanges 6 registering with the fianges 3 and secured to the latter by screw bolts 1. The inner face of this ring 5 is recessed at 8 to form a seat for a lens 9, preferably of laminated glass, and

also preferably having a protective cover lens I0 55 (Cl. 12S-143) of cellulose acetate to prevent pitting of the lens. A second recess II is provided to receive a lens retaining spring ring I2, which is formed of bent spring wire with spaced ends so it may be sprung into and out of its retaining seat recess Il. The l annular end of the ring 5 forms a bearing seat I5 for the flat rim portion I6 of an outwardly domed perforated screen member I'I, the perforations being so numerous as to permit sight therethrough, and small enough to protect against large flying fragments from impinging against the lens. `On the outer surface of the ring 5, adjacent the bolting anges 6, a rib 20 is formed, having an inclined surface 2| leading to a locking shoulder 22. I

The lenses 9 and' Il) and their retaining ring I2 are introduced and removed through the outer end of the ring 5, and to prevent their accidental displacement, and to secure the rim I6 of screen I'I seated on its bearing seat I5, I provide a retaining cap 30. This cap 33 is made of yielding material, preferably of rubber, so that it may be snapped over thev ring 5 and act also as a shock absorbing cover for the latter to soften the jars and shocks of flying fragments. 'Ihe cap 30 is formed with an inwardly directed flange 3| at one end overlying the annular ring seat I5, and when engaged, securely holds the screen rim I6 in firmly seated position. At the other end of the cap it is interiorly recessed at 32 so as to cooper` atively engage under the shoulder 22 of ring 5. No tools are required to remove and replace this cap and there can be no grinding friction of any sand or grit that may be lodged between it and its ring 5.

My improved lens assembly thus fully described I insures firm holding in position of its several parts, provides for absorbing shocks and jars against the ring 5, and may be simply and cheaply made with a minimum of expensive machining,

or screw threading liable to be severely damaged by the grinding action of interposed sand.

In practice I have found the above specific construction preferable as set forth, but the construction described may of course be modied within the spirit of my invention as defined in v the following claims. What I claim is:

1. In a helmet having a sight opening, a lens seated on said annular edge seat, and a retaining ring of flexible material having an inwardly directed flange at one edge adapted to overlie said annular end seat and a locking recess adjacent its other edge adapted to engage with said annular locking rib.

2. In an industrial protection helmet having a sight opening provided with an encircling lensholding frame having an annular outer edge seat,

an exterior locking rib extending around said frame, and a lens-protecting screen seated on said edge seat, a shock-absorbing cap of exible material for said frame having a flange portion adapted to hold said screen to its edge seat and a ring portion with an interior recess adapted to exteriorly engage said frame and lockingly engage said frarne locking rib.

JOHN F. CLARK. 

